How the early church's radical social practices revealed an alternative political imagination rooted in the lordship of Jesus—and how those practices challenge today's believers to embody a cross-shaped way of engaging with power, community, and culture.

Mike Erre continues the Exile Series by diving deep into Paul's subversive, kingdom-centered vision of church and politics. Drawing from Paul's life before and after encountering Jesus, and through reflections on apocalyptic literature like Revelation, Mike outlines how the church was and still is called to be a deeply political community—not in alignment with worldly partisanship, but through radical embodiment of the reign of Jesus.

Key Takeaways: • Jesus Is Lord as a Political Claim – Declaring the kingship of Jesus was a direct confrontation of Rome's imperial power, and today it reorients our loyalties away from partisan identities. • Worship as Subversion – Early Christian worship mimicked and mocked the imperial praise of Caesar, inviting us to consider how our gathering together proclaims a new order. • The Lord's Supper as Resistance – Communion didn't just remember Jesus—it embodied a countercultural, egalitarian community that broke down class, race, and power structures. • Caring for the Poor as Political Witness – The early church outpaced Rome's welfare system, serving the marginalized not merely as charity, but as participation in God's justice. • Cruciform Politics – Paul called for a cross-shaped politics marked by humility, mutual service, and sacrificial love—values that stand in stark contrast to today's political climate. • Political Discipleship – Modern churches must resist being discipled by social media or cable news and instead anchor their vision in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Resources Mentioned: • The Book of Revelation – Key texts from apocalyptic literature reshaping how we see empire and God's rule • 1 Corinthians 11 – Paul's critique of how communion was being misused to reinforce class divides • Philippians 2 – The "Christ hymn" revealing the radical humility of Jesus as our model of political engagement • Acts 2 & 4 – Descriptions of the early church's economic justice as a core outgrowth of resurrection life • Michael Gorman – Theologian whose term "cruciform" helps center our imagination around cross-shaped living

Join us as we push past the toxic politics of our age to rediscover the church's call to be an alternative political community that reflects the love, justice, and humility of our crucified king. Subscribe, leave a review, and connect with us on social to continue the conversation about the church's transformative public witness.

As always, we encourage and welcome discussion as we journey together. Email your questions to [email protected] or engage with us on Facebook and Instagram.

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Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford (@GoneTimothy on socials)

As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to [email protected], and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram.

We're on YouTube (if you're into that kinda thing): VOXOLOGY TV.

Our Merch Store! ETSY

Learn more about the Voxology Podcast

Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify

Support the Voxology Podcast on Patreon

The Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology Radio

Follow us on Instagram: @voxologypodcast and "like" us on Facebook

Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre

Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford

Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy